Food limitations and CrockPot Lasagna

I love to cook.  That is, when I don't HAVE to cook.  It is relaxing for me to cut fruit and veggies.  To prepare food and provide sustenance for my family makes me happy.  But, I do not like to be rushed in the kitchen.  And with 3 XY's living in my abode, it is tough to keep them satisfied and full.  Not to mention that 2 of the 3 are small and whiny--22 months and 4 years old.  


On top of the boy factor--we have a variety of dietary restrictions.  For starters--I am wheat intolerant.  I can eat wheat in small amounts and truth be told...I prefer to consume it in sweets.  However, when I consume too much I get severe intestinal distress, along with constipation, mood swings and headaches.  Not a happy camper.


My youngest son is allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts.  When he consumes milk products he breaks out in hives and his eczema flairs up.  He seems fine eating eggs if they are in baked goods or muffins, though I still try and avoid them.  Peanuts...well, they are something we are not going to test out.  He hasn't had peanuts or peanut butter, and until the allergist clears him for a food challenge I am not willing to risk exposing him to a potentially lethal legume.  He also will rarely, if ever, eat meat.  Unless it is bacon.  And who doesn't like bacon, I mean, seriously!


My husband eats anything, and is grateful I cook and grocery shop.  And my 4 year old eats a very select set of foods which include things like cheese sandwiches, hot dogs and bacon.  Mixed with the occasional vegetable, a huge variety of fruits and even a few bites of salad.  


Which brings me to the challenge of preparing a meal that we first CAN eat, and then secondly that we WILL eat.  


I am open to ideas.  


I did recently make a Crock Pot Lasagna for my husband and I that was yummy and pretty easy.  Though, I am not sure why making it in the crock pot is necessary since you still have to brown the meat, onions, garlic and sauce before mixing it with the other ingredients.  I took the recipe from my friend Leahs blog.  Visit her at: http://leahsthoughts.com/.  She is a wonderful cook and posts a ton of recipes on her site.


Here is the recipe she used, with my modifications in parenthesis

Easy Crockpot Lasagna (adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything)

1 pound ground beef (I used extra lean turkey burger)

1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 (24 – 26 oz.) jar of spaghetti sauce (I only had half a jar, so I added a can of tomato sauce)

1/2 cup water

1 (15 oz.) container of ricotta cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese (I used 8 ounces of mozzarella balls and mashed them up)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. dried parsley (subbed Italian Seasoning, since I was out of parsley)

6 – 8  uncooked lasagna noodles (Gluten free no-boil noddles)

In a large skilled, brown the beef and onions. Add garlic. Add spaghetti sauce and water. Simmer for about five minutes. Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan and parsley in a large bowl.

Pour 1 cup of spaghetti meat sauce into a 4 to 6 quart-sized crock pot. Place half of the noodles and half of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce. You will have to break up the noodles to get them to fit. Then cover with 2 cups of meat sauce, the remaining noodles, cheese mixture, and the remaining meat mixture.

Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or until noodles are soft. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover and let the cheese melt. Let the lasagna stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Closing notes on this recipe:

The turkey burger was dry.  I think that using ground beef would be juicier and more flavorful.

I also missed the way that cheese bubbles and crusts on a baked lasagna.